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There’s a Congressional App for That

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I recently got a new smart phone and have started exploring apps that can help me keep up with Congress and do my job (Andrew has mentioned a couple before). I’ve compiled a sampling of apps for various devices. What’s your favorite app for getting in touch or keeping up with Congress?

Information about Congress and Congressional members:

  • Call Congress (iPhone, free) – by Floatopian. Gives a direct line to your local Congressman based on your phone’s GPS. You can also browse for a member’s direct line by state or last name.
  • Congress 411 (iPhone, free) – by Mike Blustein. Lists members of Congress by House and Senate. Information included for members includes DC office location and phone, recent votes, Twitter handle, YouTube channel, web site, committees, and sponsored bills on THOMAS.
  • Congress (Android, free) – by the Sunlight Foundation.  A directory that provides detailed information on members of Congress, as well as bills, laws, and recent floor activity.
  • Congress 112 (Android, free) – by The Carmen Group. Members of Congress are accessible by state or name. Information provided includes picture, party, Congressional district, DC address, phone number, fax number, and web site. A call can be placed to a member directly from the app.
  • Follow Congress (iPhone, free) – by Technomagination. Follow tweets by members of Congress grouped into one feed for House Republicans, House Democrats, Senate Republicans, Senate Democrats, and the Executive branch.
  • Real Time Congress (iPhone, free) – by the Sunlight Foundation. Provides floor updates for the House and Senate; whip notices; hearing schedule for the House and Senate; documents which include CBO cost estimates, GAO reports, White House policy statements, etc.; and news.

News about Congress:

  • C-SPAN Radio (iPhone, Blackberry, free) – by C-SPAN. The C-SPAN Radio app delivers four audio streams of commercial-free public affairs programming (C-SPAN Radio, C-SPAN, C-SPAN2 and C-SPAN3) and audio podcasts of some regularly scheduled programs.
  • The Hill (iPhone, free) – by The Hill. A Congressional newspaper that publishes daily when Congress is in session that covers Congress and politics.
  • CQ Roll Call (iPhone, Blackberry; free) – by Aaron Balogun. A Capitol Hill newspaper since 1945, Roll Call covers election and politics.
  • Politico (iPhone, Android, Blackberry; free) – by Politico. Coverage includes politics, Congress, the White House, the presidential race, and lobbying.
  • National Journal (iPhone, free) – by National Journal Group. News on politics and policy from the National Journal.

If you are just curious as to what the Library of Congress looks like, we have a virtual tour app for that (iPhone, free). In addition, the THOMAS team has also worked to make the THOMAS.gov homepage more smartphone friendly. Have you noticed?

Update: This list includes only free apps, but commercial apps do exist.

Update of another app: Visible Vote (iPhone, Android, Blackberry, free) – Lets the user advise congress on how to vote on the major upcoming legislation, follow current events, understand legislators’ voting records and compare the user’s voting preference to your legislators’ voting history.

Update (8/30/2011): Updated links.

Update (1/18/2012): The Congressional Record iPad App presented by the Library of Congress is now available.

Comments (11)

  1. Great information to have on our phones. Thanks all!

  2. Where is the Android app for the Library of Congress?

  3. Still no Android app for the library of congress?

  4. With us being in the digital era and more people using apps, it’s about time the Government started releasing official apps for it’s various branches and services. Here is a list of some latest official Government app.

    http://techlivewire.com/2735/list-of-government-apps.html

  5. More and more government agencies will be launching apps for various government services as more people use smart phones.

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